Scutching machine



Mafch 6. 1928. 1,661,316

J. V AN STEENKISTE ET AL SCUTCHING 11110111111:

Filed March 12. 1924 5 SheetS-Shet 1 INVENTORS Joseph Va/z-fifeentz'sfe Joseph Van/karate A True/757s 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. VAN STEENKISTE Er AL SGUTCHING CHINE March 6, 1928. 1,661,316

- J. VAN STEENKISTE ET AL nrraenfrs J. VAN STEENKISTE ET AL SCUTQHING MACHINE March '6, 1928. 1,661,316

5 Sheets-Sheet 1120672 Z a/r5: Iaek V411 Steak/(life J' A 1/ Maer cke March 6, 1928.

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Filed March 12. 1924 u 5 sfieet s sheekiig V mwm raes J'asepll, mm

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30 of them acts at a time on Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

JOSEPH VAN STEENKISTE AND JOSEPH VAN MAERCKE, OF. WEVELGHEM, BEL GIUH.

SCUTCHING MACHINE.

Application filed March 12,

The present invention relates to a scutching machine of the type with scutching cylinders arranged in pairs and turning in opposite directions and which are combined 5 with a conveying device feeding the material to; be scutched from one end of the machine to the other one between the said cylinders -None of the known machines has 'ever been able to scutch flax in the way of the Flemish scutching, that is to say to beat, peel and shed it and this owing to the rigidity of the bearing the scutching knives spokes or arms that the material to be and to the fact i scutched was prevented from hanging freely between the'cylinders. v The object now of thepresent invention is to provide a real scutching machine,

scutching the flax as perfectly as can be done by hand or by means of theso called" Flemish scutching mill.

For this purpose the knives are placed-on the scutching cylinders insuch a way that the knife on one cylinder begins to act upon the material to be scutched only when the knife of the'other'cylinder which works" in an opposite direction has reached its lowest working position, in other words the knives are placed in such a manner that only one the freely hanging 'The blades or board or stock must be adjustable in order to enable the scutchers to adjust the blades, 85 that is to say, to bring thecylinder nearer to the the nature of the flax to be worked. v The blades mustbe able to effect a peeling"- action, their function being to extract the 40 broken ligneous stem from the fibrous ribmaterial.

knives and the scutching bon. This is obtained by the rapid beating of the blades producing a bend or crease in the loose flax thus enabling them to enter between the stem and the fibrous ribbon.

The number of the blades must be in'proportion with the speed of the cylinder so that the blow of the. knives be neither too hard nor too soft, because in the first instance they shorten the flax by cutting the ends and reducing them to dust, and in the second case only the upper part ofthe knives is operative. I a The blades must have a certain breadth as they must duce a flatteningj effect from P the edge to the back, thus be he to flatten 1924, Serial no. 698,703, and in Belgium scutched and conveying it board or to move it off, according to from one o the corresponding surface March 20, 1923..

the crease in the flax as would a smoothingiron, in order to prepare the flax for the next blow. v y The machine being the object of the present invention unites all of these conditions. 'Its principal features are the 'followin 1 It combines sets of scutching cylin ers with devices for maintaining the flax to be t irough'the machine between thescutching cylinders and devices for placing it horizontally when it leaves a first set of cylinders, to turn it over and so to have it scutched the other way by a second setof cylinders or to place it in position ready to be taken out of the machine after having left for instance the second set of cylinders. I

The number of scutching blades mounted on each cylinder is so small and the diameter of the cylinders so great, that the flax will hang loosely between the cylinders and that i but one knife orblade will act, at a time, on

the flax. 5 v

The breadth of'the knives is such that they will peel with their cuttingtedge and flatten 8o with their sides.

I The cylinders are adjustable, by approaching them to each other or moving them away from each other by means of set-screws.

The flax is placed in the proper position for the knives to act upon by an arched grill made up with laths.

The devices for feeding, conveyin and a returning the flax comprise systems 0 pressure belts and guide belts running lengthwise and conveyin the flax between the sets of cylinders, and lts provided'w'ith laths travelling transversely thereto, taking up the loosely han ing part' of the scutched flax f the systems of belts travelling it horizontally an longitudinally placing.

of belts. travellin longitudinally and another belt provide with laths travelling transversely thereto,-tak1ng the freely hanging scutched partof the flax up and placing it horizo tally ready for beingv f taken out of'the machine. The longitudinally travelling belts have an outer rubber surface preventing the blows of theknives from ulhng out the flax lay-v in between the ru ber surfaces. One 0 the. said surfaces has a prominence formed thereon registering with a groove formed 1n of the other belt. no

bringing it over with the scutched end to the other system provided .of scutching The rubber layers are fixed on a linen or cotton envelope enclosing the steel belts.

The supporting guide belts travel on supportingrollers while the pressure belts are pressed on the guide or supporting belts by means of yielding rollers and the supportway that each pressing roll presses the pressing belt on the supporting belt between two supporting rollers.

One form of execution of the object of the invention is shown diagrammatically and y way of example in the annexed drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine partly broken away.

ig. 2 is a side view of a, modified form of a scutching cylinder partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a front or end view of one set of scutching cylinders and of one of the longitudinal flax transporting devices.

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section of a scutching cylinder.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form edge.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the knife of Fig. 5. s

.Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the machine with but one set' of scutching cylinders on line 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view on line 88 of Fig. 1. Fig.9 is a plan View on the middle line 99 of Fig. 1."

Fig. 10 is a vertical elevation of the main taining, feeding and conveying device.

Fig.10 shows two of the pressure rollers 55, 56 and their supports on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 10 shows the supports for the pres sure and t e guiding rollers in section on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 11 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the longitudinal and transverse feedbelts 37 37 and 68, 68'.

Fig. 12 is a vertical end view of a pair of acutching cylinders associated with a longitudinal conveying belt.

Fign13 is a vertical section through a longitudinal conveyor showing a transverse conveyor in side elevation.

ig. 14 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 13 but showing a transverse conveyor oppocitely disposed to that shown in Fig. 13.

he machine, as shown, comprises frames 1, 1',.1 1 devices for malntaining and conveying the flax through the machine, and sets of scutching cylinders 2 and 3, and 2 and 3'. Each cylinder, 2, 3, 2 and 3' is longitudinally extending over the respective cylinders. Each knife or blade is mounted on an arched arm or spoke, 5, 5 or 5 re-/ spectively. These'arms which areof steel and have a certainelasticity, or may be rendered elastic by any known means, are fixed knife 4 with a plane cutting.

with knives or blades, 4, 4',

on a shaft 6, enclosed in a wooden cylinder 7,v enclosed itself in a wooden cylinder 8. Each blade or knife 4, 4, 4 is provided with holes such as 7' to fix them on the arms or spokes 5, 5 and 5 by means of bolts, not shown. The knives or blades 4, 4, 4 are adjustable, that is to say, their inclination on the arms 5, 5 or 5 may be regulated.

An arched grill 10, Fig. 2 catches the freely hanging part of the flax during the rapid rotation of the cylinders 2 and 3. This grill is. made up with wooden or steel laths as 11, 12, 13,14, 15, 16, the inner faces of which are rounded. The flax is prevented by these grills from being rolled around the scutchers when these scutchers reach its ends, and is thus kept in the right position for receiving the proper blow of the scuteher. The sharp edge of each knife protrudes about 50 c/m. from the grill 10.

The flax is maintained and guided through the machine and returned therein by means of belts.

Fig. 7 shows this device as being applied to a machine with two sets of scutching cylinders 2, 3 and 2, 3'.

The first pair of cylinders 2, 3 is shown as begig driven by means of slack chains 19 an main shaft 22 and meshing with the toothed 20 and a toothed wheel 21 fixed on the sprocket wheels 25 and 26 respectively.

The main shaft 22 drives a toothed wheel 27 by means of a worm 28, while on the shaft of worm wheels, only .one of which, 29, is shown. One of the sprocket wheels 29 drives by means of a chain 31 a pulley 32 intermedium of a sprocket wheel 33 fixed thereon. The other sprocket wheel drives a pulley 34 provided with a sprocket wheel 35 by means of a chain 36. The pulley 32 drives one system of maintaining and conveying belts 37, 38 and the pulley 34 drives the system of maintaining and conveying belts 37, 38'. The construction of the maintaining, conveying and returning belts 00- operating with the set of cylinders 2 and 3 being identical with the one cooperating with the set. of cylinders 2 and 3, only the one cooperating with the former one will be described in etail.

The conveylngbelt 37 is guided onpulleys 32, 39, 40, 41. The shaft of each of the pulleys 32 and 41 is journaled in a vertical plate 42 fixed by means of a bracket 43 to the standard 1 of each of the pulleys 39 and 40 is journaled in a plate 44 fixed to the standard 1 by means of brackets 45 and 46. Thep-ressure belt 38 runs on two fixed respectively to standards 1 and 1 The ported between the pulleys gear 27 are fixed two sprocket through the i of the machine and the shaft pulleys 47 and 48, the shafts of which are journaled in brackets 49 and 50 is drivenby the pulley roller 55, 56, 57 to n rolls between two pins 58 in cups 58. Springs 59, 60, 61 to 'n act upon the rollers 55, 56, 57 to n. The pressure rollers 55, 56, 57 to n and the supporting rollers 51, 52, 53 to 'n are mounted in sue a way that one of the said pressure rollers always acts between two porting or guide rollers. The belt 37 which 32 in the direction of the arrows 62, drives the-belt 38 by friction in the direction of the arrows 63.

Both of the belts 37 and 38 which are of steel are lined with cotton or linen, on which linings are fixed layers of rubber 64 and 65 respectively.

- The rubber layer 64 of the lower belt 37 has a longitudinal prominence 66 adapted to engage with the longitudinal groove 67 oft-he upper belt 38. The flax to-be scutched is so firmly clamped at one end between these two belts 37 and 38, owing to the prominence 66 and to the groove 67, that it is not pulle out by the blows of the scutching knives.

The loosely hanfging part of half scutched flax leaving the rst said pair of belts 37 and 38 is received by the belt 68 travelling transversely to the belts 37 and 38. This belt.68wh1ch is provided, on its outer face, with laths 69, travels on pulleys 70 and 71 of which the first one is fixed on'the shaft of the scutching cylinder 3 and the other one on a special shaft not shown.

The flax string 72 on reaching this belt 68, takes the horizontal position until it has passed the pulley 71, when the scutched end of this string 72 hangs down loosely and is taken u by the belt 37 of the second system of elts 37 38. This belt 37 carries this end along under the belt 38' "and the other half of the string 72 will be scutched by the second set of scutchin cylinders 2' and 3. When leaving these be ts 37 and 38" travelthe flax. 72 is taken up by the belt 64' ling transversely thereto and may be taken outvof the machine. The second conveyin and returning system being'identical with the former one, t e same reference charactershave been used except for the driving-pulley which is numbered 35 and that all the others are rovided with an index T e shaft of the scutching cylinders 2' and 3 may be driven in thesame way as those of the cylinders 2 and 3. v I

Set screws 73 and 74 (Fig. 1) serve to adjust the cylinders 2 and 3, and identical screws are provided for setting the cylinders 2' and 3'.

of the said sup 1 a layer of lon with sets of scutching cylinders,

The inventionis not limited to the particular form of execution described and shown, as anybody skilled in the art is able of modifying constructional details without.

inders each turning in opposite directions lined with a woven material, a

dinal pro ect1on on the other the lining of Let- of sets of longitudinally conveying flexible I h steel belts,

-layer of longitudinally grooved rubber on belt of the said set in engagement with the grooves in the I and of a transversely travelllng returning flexible steel belt cooperating with each. of

the said sets of conveying belts and pro-' vided onthe outer face with perpendicularly arrariged parallel laths. '2. n a scutching machine, the combination with sets of scutching or swinging cylinders, each set turning in tions, of sets of longitudmally conveying flexible steel belts lined with a wovenmaterial, itudinally grooved rubber on the lining of t e lower belt of each set and a rubber layer having a longitudinally extend ing projection on the lining of the upper belt of each set being adapted to engage with the groove ofthe rubber layer in the said lower belt, and a transversely travelling returning first mentioned rubber layer,

opposite direc-' flexible steel belt cooperating with/each set of longitudinally conveying belts provided on the outer facewith perpendicularly arranged parallel laths.

3. In a scutching machine, in combination a set of conveying and pressure belts cooperating with each set of said scutching cylinders, a returning belt travelling transversely. thereto cooperating with each set of said conveying and pressure belts, for thesets of scutching cylinders, the sets of conveying and pressurebelts and the said returning belts, a common driving shaft ex-. tending longitudinally throughout the machine, means to its ends, means on both ends of the saidshaft to drive the sets of said scutching cylinders, a rotatable shaft bearing each scutch' mg cylinder, means on the outer end of each of the a common driving shaft drive the said shaft on one of said shaftsto drive them and a power transi mission member yieldingly connecting the shaft of each scutching cylinder to the common driving shaft, a driving ulley for each saldreturning belt, fixed on t 1e driving pulle sof-the' t shaft of one of the scutching cylinders of each set with whichrthe said prising a pinion on the main driving shaft, a toothed wheel meshing with the said pinions, two sprocket wheels fixed on the shaft of said toothed wheel, a driving pulley for each said set of conveying and pressure belts,

'extending returning belt, of sets of scutching cyllnders turning in opposlte directlons,

each cylinder having curved arms longitudinally extending scutching blades arranged on said arms, so that in each set of cylinders only one blade will act at a time upon the material to be treated, and; a longitudinally extending arched grill fixed to each series of arms bearing ascutching blade close to this blade adapted to prevent the free end of-the material from being rolled round the blades owing to their action on same.

5. In a scutching machine in combination, sets of longitudinally travelling conveying flexible steel belts, a transversely travelling flexible steel belt cooperating with each set of the said-conveying belts, as many sets of conveying belts as there are sets of scutching cylinders, each cylinder comprising a metal shaft, a noise absorbing cylinder on the metal shaft, rows of curved arms fixed on this sleeve and a second noise absorbing protrude the said arms,

- sleeve enclosing the sleeve over the first sleeve through which longitudinally extending knives, one on each row of arms, means for guiding the flax between the cylinders, and an arched longitudinally extending grill fixed to each row of said arms beneath the knives fixed on each row of arms.

6. In a scutching machine, the combination with longitudinally extending conveying bolts, a transversely extending returning belt adapted to return the fibers from one longitudinally extending belt to another longitudinal belt with scutching cylinders oper ating in association with each of said longitudinally extending belts. 7. In a scutching machine, a scutching cylinder comprising a shaft, a noise absorbing shaft and forming the hub of the cylinder, a plurality of rows-of curved arms mounted on the noise absorbing sleeve,

a second or outer noise absorbing sleeve over the firstsleeve, a longitudinall extending scutching knife mountedon each roW of curved arms and longitudinally extending laths mounted on the curved arms of each row of arms adjacent each scutching knife constituting anarched grill adaptedto prevent the fibers under treatment from rolling around the blade under the'action of the blows given by same.

In testimony whereof We alfix our signatures.

J QSEPH VAN STEENKISTE. JOSEPH VAN MAERGKE. 

